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Megan Macomber's avatar

In the rolling mountains of Middle Tennessee, rumors still circulate about "the Gore family" being involved in Satanic rituals. I heard these firsthand from locals. When I asked how Al Jr. would have time for such things, being a senator and then VP and then making movies and such, I got the "You just don't understand how this works" response.

Those on the other side of this argument always have that out. Evidence (or the lack of it) means nothing. This is about faith, the belief in things unseen. That those things ruin people's lives...well, those folks lacked faith. Translation: they deserved it.

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Mike_Cramer's avatar

Along with the horrible abuse he inflicted, he lent his "expertise" to a theocratic movement out to declare anything that wasn't white, fundamentalist Christian as "evil." This shit didn't go away of course. It's still there in the form of Alex Jones and Q Anon and other Christo-fascist goons who want to blame all the world's trouble on the Jews... I mean, Satan!

BTW, isn't it odd that virtually no-one uses the phrase "Fundamentalist Christian" anymore? The MSM insists on calling them "Evangelicals," a word I'm sure these Bible-fuckers prefer.

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Jen of Defense (War!)'s avatar

But she said Bennett, who had her on an absurd cocktail of drugs, pressured her to tell him stories of things that didn’t happen

He turned around and did to them the same exact thing he accused others of doing. Jesus fuck

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defpac's avatar

Let's hope for Dr. Braun that neither God nor Satan exists, otherwise he is looking for a very long time on a very very very hot beach; looking out to boiling acid or something.

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Teddy Barnes's avatar

I was living in PHX a the time and was telling co-workers this was all B.S. and media generated hysteria.......I lost SEVERAL close friends over this shit. A few have reached out over the years and apologized......be gone bitches.......too little, too late.......

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RRJKR's avatar

I have considered the potential existence of non-corporeal life forms. i.e. demons. I have come to the conclusion that if they do indeed exist, no real empirical evidence in either direction, They are nothing more than parasites No more fearsome than mosquitoes or black flies, perhaps less so. so if you feel you are beset by demons, get some good bug repellant. should work as well as holy water

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RRJKR's avatar

Belief in Satan by supposed "Christians" is puzzling. They elevate him to a position of near equality with God. He is able to battle with the omnipotent Creator God for possession of the immortal soul and often win. How can that be possible? Is that not a form of strictly forbidden idolatry?

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Dina's avatar

And THEY have to help their god defeat this Satan character.

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GaseousAnomaly's avatar

As per usual, this fuckface achieved enough wealth, fame, and notoriety that he COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE--even though all of that came through victimizing others. If that story doesn't sound familiar, watch how a certain overgrown Oompa Loompa skates with no consequences whatsoever

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ManchuCandidate's avatar

"Welcome home!"

-Satan

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Nancy Naive's avatar

Svengali

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GaseousAnomaly's avatar

Rasputin

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susan's avatar

It doesn't exist.

Tell that to the victims of Jeffery Epstein.

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insolenthedgehog's avatar

Satanic ritual abuse does not exist. Using the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein as leverage to flog that hoax is misguided at best and reprehensible at worst.

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Runfastandwin's avatar

jebus h pete the world really sucks sometimes...

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Cyderist's avatar

You're correct. I like it around here though. Makes me happy in the face of all this.

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Wookiee Monster's avatar

Another outcome of the Satanic Panic was the assault on RPGs, especially Dungeons and Dragons. People were told D&D was a gateway to satanism. One woman, as she was burning her son’s gaming books, reported that she heard “screaming.”

One upshot of it all was that the 2nd edition of AD&D was a very sanitized version of the game. Words like “demons” and “devils” were banned from the books. Certain spells were removed and players were discouraged from playing evil alignments.

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plushie dragon's avatar

My mom asked me if I worshipped Satan. I said... No? Since I had no idea why she asked. She asked if I was sure. I said I was pretty sure. I was only vaguely aware of the Satanic Panic, then, being about 14.

Now, of course, I know that my love for heavy metal, dragons, and weirdness in general led her to worry. Don't worry mom. I don't know what I would worship Satan FOR. Does he offer a matched 401k and fantastic insurance?

It's fucking tragic that this true monster was allowed to do this, and then just kinda fade out. Die in peace without crowds howling for his blood, you know. I really had no idea how damaging the whole mishegas was and today I learned.

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Zyxomma's avatar

Ta, Robyn. Good.

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Wookiee Monster's avatar

I remember when Geraldo jumped on the Satanic panic bandwagon. In retrospect, after Capone’s vault, it was the second most embarrassing thing he’d done during that period.

Today’s panic feels a bit different. Maybe it’s because it’s mostly confined to the Q-Anon loony bin. At least people aren’t being railroaded into prison because someone’s “recovered memories” convinced a court that they’ve engaged in ritual satanic abuse.

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Robert Eckert's avatar

Instead parents are murdering their children

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Cyderist's avatar

Growing up in Central Illinoise did feel like ground 0 for this shit back in the late 70's and early '80's. Between Oprah and Donahue, I'm guessing I saw this filth toad do his act. The Tylenol deaths. John Wayne Gacy. So much horror for the down-staters to worry about.

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Wookiee Monster's avatar

Given all the woo and other garbage Oprah has promoted over the decades, both directly and through launching the careers of Oz and Phil, it still deeply bothers me that she’s such a beloved public figure.

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Cyderist's avatar

Agree, though maybe she's a better person now? She suffered also in her life but her fame and fortune are tied to the suffering of folks like the ones this guy victimized.

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DDB9000's avatar

Not a bloody chance!

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